The Night is Young
by Mnaja
Summary: In Naha, Okinawa, nightfall is heralded by a gaudy neon "open" sign belonging to a modest, windowless building known as Twilight Bar & Lounge. When it flickers on, it invites Okinawa's most crooked residents into a den of drinking, hostesses, gambling, and Yakuza activity. And this is where Tokuchi Toua returns to settle a debt he owes to the man who raised him.
1. Chapter 1

**The Night is Young**

In Naha, Okinawa, nightfall is heralded by a gaudy neon "open" sign belonging to a modest, windowless building known as _Twilight Bar & Lounge. _When it flickers on, it invites Okinawa's most crooked residents into a den of drinking, hostesses, gambling, and Yakuza activity. And this is where Tokuchi Toua returns to settle a debt he owes to the man who raised him.

Chapter One

October, 1999.

It was the day after the Lycaons won the championship. Across Japan, the media was celebrating the triumph of a "perpetual" B-class team that had achieved nothing less than a miracle by transforming into the strongest players in the league. Yet the man who helped bring the Lycaons this victory was no longer with them.

Despite his face being shown on every television channel, newspaper, and magazine across the sports world, no one knew where he was at the moment. His gift for disappearing was exceptional. After all, he was a gambler who made a living through deception and elusiveness…

But he had returned to the humid streets of Naha, Okinawa, where he was sitting at an ordinary roadside food stall. One hand was in his pocket, the other holding his cigarette as his elbow was propped on the table. He was seemingly unfazed as his picture flashed across the tiny television screen sitting across from him.

"Tou-a-kun." He felt a hand touching his lower back as a cheerful, familiar voice reached his ears.

He turned to see a petite young woman standing next to him, with short hair and bangs and a rather gaudy outfit involving a sequined skirt and knee-high boots. Her lips and eyes smiled with a cunning twinkle.

"Oh, it's you, Chizuru," he said. From her hand hung a large bouquet of red and yellow flowers, wrinkled and tousled from indifference.

"I got them from an admirer," she said, raising the flowers next to her face. "Do you like them?"

"Who knows."

"Oh, don't be like that," she said sitting down next to him. "I know they're as useless as the old man who got them for me."

"If you hate being a hostess so much, then quit," he said, taking a deep breath of his cigarette. He didn't so much as glance in her direction.

Chizuru's smile was wide and mischievous. "I would, only that wouldn't be in your best interests."

He slowly exhaled a long wisp of smoke, then turned his head and looked intently at her. The cigarette in his hand continued to glow, its faint red ember casting light and shadow across his face.

"So you're saying can get information for me."

"That's exactly right," she said, leaning towards him. "The hostess bar I work at is different from the rest, you know. I have all sorts of clients. Businessmen, mostly. And some are the shady kind." Their faces were only inches away. "Isn't that what you want?"

For a heartbeat, he considered her. But there was more to it than she was letting on. Her instincts and her ambitions had not changed in the last few years. What _had_ changed was her willingness to act on them, making her dangerous.

"Thanks, but I'm not interested. You have zero credibility," he said, looking away.

Chizuru sighed dramatically, still smiling. "You're a tough one, as always," she said, not bothered at all by his rejection. "If you don't trust me, there're always other useful people." She pulled out a card and placed it on the table. "Stop by sometime tonight and talk to Sachi. She's the mama-san of the place I work at, and I _promise_ it'll be worth your while." [1]

Tokuchi studied her. "And why would I trust this person?"

"Here's the thing—it doesn't matter whether you trust her or not." Her voice fell to a whisper as the smile left her lips for an instant. "See, she runs a gambling den upstairs. And what's more, rumor has it she's the daughter of the Oyabun that had Oji-san killed." [2]

If Tokuchi was surprised or interested, he hid it well—even his body did not react to that bit of information. But it was enough to make him examine the card before taking another long inhale of his cigarette.

"I'll see," he said finally.

The smile returned to Chizuru's face. "By the way—I go by Aiko now."

"I'll keep that in mind," Tokuchi replied, his eyes looking elsewhere.

Aiko followed his gaze and saw that he was focused on the latest news on the television. "I thought you would've forgotten those guys by now," she said. "Unless you actually have a soft spot for them?"

For the first time in the evening, Tokuchi looked at her and smiled, even though it was nothing but a small and dark smirk. "You wouldn't have met me here today if you actually believed that," he said.

Aiko laughed. "Yeah, you're right. I bet you left them as coldly as you left the rest of us in that damn orphanage." She sounded neither bitter nor sad. "Oh, whatever. Take me out sometime, won't you? My nights are spent with such boring bastards." Finally satisfied by his attention, she blew a kiss and waved good-bye, walking away with bouncing strides.

He examined her retreating figure for a moment before turning back to the television. The channel switched to a reporter introducing the Lycaons at a press conference, where microphones were at the ready and the room hushed in anticipation. Finally, Ideguchi began speaking.

Tokuchi watched dispassionately as he heard Ideguchi say things about him that he had already heard from others. Things about his pitching style…the fact that he didn't need to exchange signs... his arrogance…

"But," Ideguchi continued, his eyes watering, "Even though he's no longer here, Tokuchi left behind in us self-value and confidence..."

Tokuchi was too mentally strong for his emotions to be swayed by people's sentiments of him (both favorable and critical), but as he watched tears flow down Ideguchi's and the rest of the Lycaons' faces, perhaps there was some softness in his eyes…

Finally he decided he had enough, and lowered his gaze to put out his cigarette underneath his shoe. Just as he watched the last ember turn to smoke, he heard Ideguchi's final words to him: "For what you've given us—Tokuchi—thanks so much."

Tokuchi responded with a faint, amused smile, his dark eyes looking past the cigarette and—for a brief moment—into comfort. Then he turned around and walked away as though he had not witnessed anything worth remembering.

For as long as he could recall, he commanded only fear, animosity, suspicion, even admiration… but no love from those around him. Yet the Lycaons had not only trusted him, they expressed it by accepting him—and for a moment he responded with gratitude.

But he was a bloodthirsty gambler. That moment was distant now, and emotion had no place in his life. He knew that it was dangerous to think of the Lycaons as his companions, and that any attachment to them would dull his instincts. So he left. His pride would not allow him to grow accustomed to others; it would not allow him to grow soft. Tokuchi chose a path of solitude.

Each step he took, the Lycaons' stadium lights and sounds grew dimmer and dimmer in his mind as the city lights grew brighter. The only thing that mattered now was his next thrill, his next victim, his next victory.

_Chapter One End_

[1] "mama-san"—the name of the woman who runs and owns a hostess bar

[2] "Oyabun" – the head of a Yakuza family; analogous to a "don".

"Oji-san" –term meaning Uncle; its slang version is "Ossan".

_I would really appreciate if you would leave a review! I put a lot of time, effort, and love into writing this story =) Three seconds of your time would give me encouragement for days on end, and constructive criticism is also welcome._

_Thank you very much!_

_Love, Mnaja_


	2. Chapter 2

**The Night is Young**

_Hi, thanks for continuing to read my story! I really appreciate it =)_

Chapter Two

One look at the new customer who had walked in, and she immediately thought "_Here's one man I'll never be able to fool". _With bleached hair, his hand adorned with multiple rings, a gold chain hanging across his neck and the top of his white shirt unbuttoned, it was clear he was a troublemaker. Well, it wasn't like she'd never dealt with troublemakers before—her bar was currently full of them. But his calm gaze made her uncomfortable. It was sharp and unforgiving, no doubt one of a man whose only cause was himself.

She approached him, feeling her body becoming tense, pulse quickening—but practice made sure the smile remained on her face regardless of what she was feeling. _Don't notice_, she thought. _Don't notice how stiff I am. _But as he gave her the once-over, she felt her prayers to be futile.

"Welcome," she said in a smooth voice, lower than usual. "I'm Taira Sachi, the owner of this bar. Would you like to hear about our wonderful female companions available for the night?" she asked, forcing herself to maintain eye contact.

He looked straight at her. "I'm not interested. Just get me a drink."

"Of course, sir. I understand." _It means that _I'll _be your female companion tonight instead of any other girl here. What does he want with me?_

Before she could escort him, another man wearing a simple business suit walked in, his eyes instantly widening. "Welcome back, Tanabe-san. What would you like this evening?" Sachi asked.

"Uh, Aiko-chan," the man said, mouth slightly agape. "I mean—I would like to have drinks with her."

"As you wish," she responded with lowered eyelashes and a light touch. _If you spend all your nights with Aiko-chan, I'm afraid you're leaving many ladies disappointed. _But the obligatory words would not come out, as though they were held back by the strange, magnetic presence behind her. Sachi indicated a waitress to escort Tanabe, watching as he shuffled his feet to the couch where Aiko was already surrounded by a herd of admirers, a beautiful red flower tucked behind her right ear. Stupidity was that girl's charm, but she was in fact a wolf among sheep—Aiko was becoming more dangerous with each night.

And in five seconds Tanabe had already become a bumbling mess. She knew what effect this building had: The outside was a washed, faded grey, beaten by the relentless Okinawan storms and heat with only a tasteless neon sign across the front—and the inside filled with dim, rich lights, smoke, velvet seats, and beautiful women strutting in flashing heels and miniskirts. Sequins, lace, gold and silver, glasses filled with alcohol, laughter and luxury. Although the place was air conditioned, it was as though the heavy Okinawan humidity had embodied itself into the colored atmosphere, slowing the senses and intoxicating the mind so that a man lost at least half his wits every time he stepped inside.

Her eyes flicked to her new customer. Every man but him, it seemed. Even though he was surveying the bar from the moment he walked in, his demeanor had not changed. His cold presence pierced the atmosphere around him and placed a chill in her she had not felt since she last saw her little brother. _I hate this place, but it's supposed to be my sanctuary._

When he sat on a padded barstool, she poured him a whiskey on the rocks. And when he pulled out a cigarette. she responded by pulling out a lighter and an ashtray. In here, it was the unspoken rule to dote on your customer, and she was the mama-san, the woman in charge, the woman held to the highest expectations.

"Let me," Sachi said, leaning over the counter. She saw his gaze move downwards to her cleavage. _Ah_, she thought, blushing_._ It was a move she used successfully to seduce men in the past, but now it made her feel ashamed. _It's like I'm a little girl again. _As he raised his cigarette to where her thumb was fumbling with the lighter, she found herself looking at his rings again. The way he dressed like a yakuza, it was uncanny. Was that why he seemed so familiar…? And then it clicked.

He was Tokuchi Toua.

The warmth of the colored atmosphere came rushing back into her blood again and suddenly it seemed silly she was so scared of a man simply wasting his wealth on drinks and pleasure. _Just a man_, she thought, gazing at him through a veil of smoke. But when she met his piercing eyes, she realized the chill had not completely disappeared.

Still, how bad could he really be?

"Congratulations on your championship victory," Sachi said. "My friends tell me your team owes most of it to you." She pulled back her long black hair so that her collarbone and neck were exposed.

"I didn't do anything special," he replied in a matter-of-fact way, drinking his whiskey.

"I find that hard to believe." Sachi smiled. "How is it that your teammates are celebrating without you? I'm sure that you're missed."

"They'll be fine."

_And you?_ she thought, but knew better than to ask. "You're too modest, Tokuchi-san," she said finally, refilling his drink.

Tokuchi chuckled, but she couldn't see what was so amusing. "You're not half bad," he said. "But I get why you'd find Aiko threatening."

For a moment, Sachi's mask slipped. _He's not an ordinary person after all,_ she thought. It was what she'd expected, but she couldn't help but feel disturbed anyway. _Of course, he'll notice that too, won't he?_ The façade was over, so she slowly straightened herself and lost her demure posture entirely. The fear was still there in her body, but she couldn't hide anymore behind the role she was supposed to play— yet it couldn't continue to inhibit her either.

"What're you here for?" she asked, looking directly into Tokuchi's face for the first time in the night, an expression of curious dread on her face.

He returned her gaze with the most fearless insolence she'd ever seen. "I'm here to gamble with your friends upstairs."

His piercing eyes, his brazen expression…Sachi felt her face turning red, and she turned around so he couldn't see.

When she faced him again, there were two shots in her hands. "On me. Cheers," Sachi said, taking it while looking at him over her glass. _How does he know about upstairs? …Of course. Money. But why come here for gambling over any other bar? …And how is he so calm? _By the time she set her glass down, Tokuchi had already finished his shot. Was there really no way to get a read on him?

"Don't waste your time," said Tokuchi, and butterflies erupted in Sachi's stomach.

"Waste my time on what?"

"Figuring me out." Tokuchi looked at her again with those insolent eyes. "On the other hand, it's easy for me to know what you're thinking."

If she weren't so nervous, she'd find him infuriating. "Then you'll know that I'm thinking there's no reason to let you upstairs."

"—And what does business does this man have there?"

The butterflies disappeared, and from the corner of her eye Sachi saw Shiroma Noboru, tall and flawless, dressed impeccably in his usual ensemble of a tailored suit and tie. On his hand were rings similar to those Tokuchi were wearing…

"Shiroma-san," she said, and he shook his head.

"Let him explain."

Even as the two men studied one another, Tokuchi did not seem the least bit intimidated.

"Oh, I get it. You're the Yakuza in charge of this place," he said, before taking a drag on his cigarette and letting out the smoke in Shiroma's direction.

"I am. And if you're harassing Taira-san, you have to answer to me." Shiroma said, touching Sachi's arm. She flinched but didn't pull away.

Tokuchi let out a short, cynical laugh. "It doesn't look like I'm the one harassing her."

Shiroma's eyes flashed. "There's a limit to customer rights. Speak like that again, and I'll have your tongue cut out."

_Oh god. _"Please, men, let's just relax. How about a bottle of champagne to celebrate Tokuchi's victory?"

There was a sinister joy in Tokuchi's eyes. "I have a better idea. If you're so eager to take my money, then why not gamble? Instead of making around five hundred thousand yen, you could make millions." A dark, cocky smile spread across his lips. "Of course, you or your men aren't good enough to win even a single yen from me."

Sachi felt Shiroma's hand clamp around her arm and she knew that was it. Tokuchi had caught them both.

"You shouldn't," she began saying to Shiroma, but he had already turned her around and pulled her close.

"Tell those three to set up the table." He meant to teach Tokuchi a lesson.

"He's not here to pick a fight with us," said Sachi, trying to gently move away by pushing on his chest. "He has some other reason."

"That won't matter once he loses."

Damn that man's arrogance. And damn Tokuchi for noticing it in less than a minute of meeting him. Sachi could feel her forehead wrinkle with apprehension and fear, but there was no point in hiding it.

"No matter what you say, Tokuchi-san is still a customer. And since it's my bar, it's my job to stay with him and make sure he's comfortable," she said, not looking at Shiroma.

He blinked and drew back. "Do as you wish," he said, and walked away.

"Is it really alright for you to refuse him like that?" asked Tokuchi from behind her.

"I just—"She stopped herself when she turned around and saw his face. "What do you care, anyway."

"Your ownership over this bar depends on him. Am I wrong, Sachi?"

She couldn't help but be startled by the familiar use of her name. Their eyes met, and the perfume of mingling tobacco, smoke and alcohol had never been so alluring to her than it was in that moment.

"Taira-san."

Shiroma had appeared again, and it was then she realized how close she was to Tokuchi.

"They're waiting for you upstairs," said Shiroma, indicating to the stairs behind him. Sachi moved to follow Tokuchi, but Shiroma stopped her.

"What was that about? You know better than to get involved with customers." He had that look again, his face unemotional and controlling but his eyes full of hunger.

"Nothing happened. Besides, it's not your concern, Shiroma-san."

"You should be thanking me. If Aiko hadn't warned me, that Tokuchi would've played you by now."

Sachi froze. Aiko had never cared about her, so why would she get involved? The warm, colored confusion lingering from Tokuchi's nearness scattered into the night air, and she remembered the kind of world she was living in.

_Tokuchi and Aiko are playing us. They're both playing us, and for what, I don't even know._

_Chapter Two End_

_Hello again! If you liked/didn't like/have something to say about this chapter, then please review! It took me a while to plan this story, and two seconds of your time will really make me feel good about the twenty million hours I spent writing about Tokuchi! I'm exaggerating of course, but you get the idea =)_

_Love, Mnaja._


	3. Chapter 3

**The Night is Young**

_Finally updated! (haha) I hope you enjoy this chapter! _

Chapter Three

Upstairs looked even more battered than downstairs, an environment more conducive for interrogation than gambling. Here, the scars of battles lost were etched on the walls and floor and even the rugs. Sachi had found an interesting red stain in the corner that looked like a jellyfish or an onyro depending on which way she squinted. The winding haze from the bar did not reach here.

And from what she could tell, it pleased Tokuchi.

"So, how are we doing this?" he asked.

Shiroma indicated to a table in the back, not a hint of friendliness in his voice or gestures.

"There are some men who are interested in playing poker with you. Everyone deals once each round."

"Which kind of poker and how many rounds?"

"Texas Hold'em, standard rules. You make the best possible five card hand using the cards dealt to you and the cards on the board. You play a minimum of two rounds, and buy-in is 5 million yen with an additional 5% house commission fee. That won't be a problem for someone like you, will it?"

"Of course not! What kind of a sports player would he be otherwise?" chimed in a man from the poker table. "By the way, I'm Higa Takeshi. The guy to my left is Nagata and across is Amuro." Higa smiled so widely he looked like a particularly unctuous tree frog. "You throw a mean fastball, Tokuchi-san. I'm a huge fan."

"But he had some trouble there with Takami Itsuki towards the end of the season, didn't he?" said Amuro, looking straight at Tokuchi. Tokuchi looked straight back but ignored the question and took a smoke from his cigarette instead.

"The Lycaons sure made a good show of it though! Did'ja see them crying at that press conference?"

"Bawling, more like! Don't hold back and tell me if you need tissues too at some point Tokuchi-san," said Amuro. "We'll wipe your ass with them the same way the Mariners did." He laughed at his own joke and Higa joined in.

Sachi knew little about Tokuchi's career, but surely Amuro's taunts didn't warrant such smug looks from everyone in the room. Only Nagata remained quiet throughout the travesty.

"That's enough," interjected Shiroma. "Let's start the game." But his cruel eyes commanded everyone to continue reveling in the pleasure of tearing down Tokuchi.

_These aren't men, _thought Sachi. _They're jackals._

Because however badly they were behaving now, she knew their bullying would only become worse once the game started. And no matter how many times she saw this sickening sight, she could never get accustomed to it.

Tokuchi put his hand up. "Just to clarify before we begin—if two people have the same hand, how do you determine the winner?"

Each person in the whole room simultaneously thought in their own way: _Is this moron for real?_ Amuro burst out laughing again. "What, don't'cha even know this basic rule of poker? This'll be too easy, too easy!" The others joined his laughter. Glaring at the group of overconfident men in front of her, Sachi could only remember the words "_it's easy for me to know what you're thinking"…_

"Tokuchi-san?" Tokuchi turned to look at her with rather a blank stare, and she couldn't help but feel nervous for him anyway. "It's standard practice that the winning hand is determined by the highest card value."

"And if the card values of the hand are identical?"

"Then the kicker is used as a tie-breaker."

"Should we tell him what a kicker is?" called Amuro loudly across the table.

"Why delay his suffering?" Their laughter was even more raucous this time. Tokuchi continued to ignore them and Sachi sighed, feeling embarrassed and disappointed. "Tokuchi-san, please don't tell me you came here for a lesson in poker," she said looking at him. But seeing his untroubled smile and those arrogant eyes again, her faith was on the brink of restoration.

"This is just a precaution," Tokuchi said, "So there isn't any complaining or backtracking when I win." Amuro glared at this declaration, but Higa eyed Tokuchi with carnivorous amusement—or at least with carnivorous a look a tree frog could give.

Tokuchi sat at the table across from Nagata and wrote a check for 5 million yen as Sachi handed him poker chips of equivalent value.

"So, who's dealing first?"

Amuro grinned. "We figured you could do the honors, Tokuchi-san," he said, passing him a deck of blue cards.

"How do I know you haven't messed with these?" asked Tokuchi as he pointed at them.

"You don't. But if it'll put your mind at ease we can start with an unopened deck."

It was Nagata who spoke. A late middle-aged man with a deep and serpentine voice, Sachi knew him to be the wiliest of the three sitting at the table. She had never seen him lose. Although—he was rather different than Tokuchi, Sachi thought. While Tokuchi spoke with absolute confidence and authority, Nagata commanded attention with a soft and strangely persuasive tone.

"Mama-san, if you will?"

Sachi bowed and went to the cupboard in the back, carefully making sure she brought out and handed over the correct deck. If not, Shiroma would probably have her for breakfast, lunch, and dinner…

"Are you satisfied?" asked Nagata as Tokuchi shuffled and dealt the cards. "I hope there won't be any more childish interruptions."

How sly. By using a disapproving tone rather than a derisive one, Nagata had established himself as a professional and placed Tokuchi on the defensive. Shaming someone trying to protect themselves from cheating was a very effective tactic to protect the cheating itself.

Because the moment Tokuchi had dealt the cards, the cheating already started. It took several games for Sachi to notice, but those three had found a way to communicate their hands and plan bets with each other. If she herself couldn't figure out how many signals there were and what all of them meant after watching them day after day, there was certainly no way a newcomer could decipher it all in time to use it to their advantage.

The blind was set to ten thousand yen. Nagata raised right after the flop, causing Amuro to fold (planned, no doubt)—but Higa and Tokuchi both matched that amount. Another aggressive bet by Higa after the turn caused Tokuchi to fold, and Amuro gave an unhappy look to Higa for failing to properly bait their meal.

So far, so good for Tokuchi.

Amuro's turn to deal, Everyone checked at the flop, with a sudden aggressive bet by Tokuchi at the turn. The cards were 4 heart, J heart, 9 diamonds and Q heart—a possible straight. Amuro matched the bet, but Nagata and Higa both folded. The river brought a 10 of spades, making a very dangerous situation.

Tokuchi threw down an additional million yen.

That was no small amount, and it was enough to make Amuro pause and consider. He looked about ready to fold, but then—

"If I were you, I'd go ahead Amuro-san. Tokuchi's obviously bluffing."

It was Nagata, scrutinizing Tokuchi with a cool and decisive air. Amuro looked hesitantly at the both of them.

Then he called. His cards—two Jacks, making three of a kind.

Tokuchi on the other hand had a measly 4 pair. Sachi winced.

"Well, he wasn't _completely_ bluffing!" said Higa as Amuro took the chips, chuckling.

Tokuchi had already lost more than one million yen when the worst part of the game was just about to begin. Things were not looking good for him anymore.

"Hey, Tokuchi, are you gonna try to make this challenging for us or what?" asked Higa as Nagata took the deck and adjusted his seat.

_There it is_, thought Sachi. _Tokuchi didn't even notice._

Tokuchi looked away from Higa and towards Nagata. "Just deal the cards."

The first three cards were a 3 club, K club and A heart. Tokuchi raised 200,000 yen, but Nagata re-raised to 500,000.

"What's this Nagata, playing so aggressively? I'm out," said Higa folding.

"Shut up Higa, you're the only one talking," said Amuro in jest. "Your distracting is screwing with our pro's concentration."

It's true that Tokuchi was sitting in such stillness it was easy to think he had become disengaged, but his intense eyes showed nothing but pure focus.

_Maybe he noticed the huge trap after all, _thought Sachi. _Maybe he—_

"I call," said Tokuchi. Sachi's fingers curled.

"It looks like everyone's got an ace," said Amuro as he tossed in chips as well.

The next card was a Q heart. If Sachi had guessed correctly, then one of them was dangerously close to completing a straight…

"Raise 200,000," said Tokuchi. Sachi had become still as well, and her blank eyes belied the intensity with which she was mentally yelling at his move.

Objectively, she knew it wasn't a bad idea. Anyone hoping for a straight would currently be under a lot of pressure debating whether it was worth calling and throwing money on the table for the slight probability. Most often, it wouldn't.

But in this game, there was no such pressure for anyone other than Tokuchi.

Predictably, Nagata and Amuro called. Everyone checked after the final card was put on the table, and the final result was devastating.

Nagata barely won with an Ace high straight, making Tokuchi's three of a kind aces meaningless.

"Bad beat, huh?" said Amuro. "Me too," he declared, throwing his pair of kings on the table.

_Liar_, though Sachi. _You knew you were getting those cards when Nagata switched the deck._

Tokuchi had fallen for their trap.

Next was Higa's turn to deal, and he used a false shuffle to keep the arrangement of the next top eighteen cards the same. _Ingenious, isn't it? _Shiroma had said when he explained it to her when she asked. Sachi pretended to be impressed, but as always, her true thoughts were contrary.

Everyone had checked before the flop when Tokuchi suddenly called out to her.

"Oi, Sachi. Get me a drink."

Startled, she nevertheless bowed and went downstairs to get the man another whiskey. Was he getting disturbed? To call for a drink like that in front of everyone…it couldn't be a good sign. As she filled the glass with whiskey, she saw Aiko flirting up a storm of Okinawan proportions and wondered why she had been so quick to associate her with Tokuchi. Aiko was suspicious, no doubt—but her interference could have just as easily been coincidence.

_Just like Nagata winning with that straight was coincidence? _Snarked the back of Sachi's head. But if Aiko and Tokuchi were working together, maybe there was a chance he knew about the cheating.

She suddenly paused, thrown-off. Since when did his situation become her concern?

Back upstairs, things weren't looking better for Tokuchi. As she approached the table to give his drink, she saw Nagata raise with the cards J club, 8 club, 8 heart and A spade on the table. Tokuchi called, indicating to her that they probably dealt him a full house or four of a kind.

The final card was a 10 club, and Tokuchi did indeed have four 8s—only to be defeated by Nagata's straight flush J high. Sachi scoffed, disappointed. Raising while holding a 7 club, 8 club, which was virtually nothing? It looked incredibly suspicious to her, but she had seen most everyone else in Tokuchi's position react as though Nagata had nerves of steel or a block for a brain, all the while cursing their bad luck, thrown into chaos at losing an unrecoverable sum of money twice in a row. Of course, having no money at stake was the only reason she could look objectively at the situation…

Tokuchi looked calm as he reached over to take the deck, but his elbow knocked into the glass and sent his drink spilling over the table and onto the cards. Amuro sniggered, pleased that Tokuchi was showing signs of cracking.

"Are you okay, Tokuchi?" asked Nagata. "Maybe you need a break."

"It's fine," said Tokuchi lighting another cigarette.

_This is bad, _thought Sachi as she mopped up the table with a towel. _Only a little less than two million left? It looks like it's getting to him._

"We can't use cards looking like that," said Higa. "Be a doll and get us another deck."

"Of course," said Sachi smiling, and she went to the cupboard for the second time.

Tokuchi's deal again, and probably the only fair shot he would get for a while. Everyone checked before the flop, and then—

Out came a 7 heart, 7 diamond, 7 club. Sachi's heart caught in her throat—this could be Tokuchi's chance.

Amuro immediately raised 100,000, and Nagata re-raised to 500,000. Higa folded.

"You keep this too intense for me," said Higa.

Amuro laughed. "It's cuz you're good for nothing, you know?"

"Raise, one million," said Tokuchi suddenly, pushing his chips to the center.

That stopped Higa and Amuro's laughter, and Nagata leaned forward.

Amuro shrugged.

"Alright, if you really wanna do this," he said. "I call."

"I call as well," said Nagata.

Sachi's heart was racing. This could be a great possibility for Tokuchi. The way he was betting, he could have four of kind—but what about the other two? How could they be so confident as well?

The turn brought a K diamond to the table. Amuro grinned and raised 900,000, and Nagata matched.

This was the deciding moment. After all those losses, Tokuchi had only 860,000 left on the table. If he chose to call this, he would be going all-in.

But Tokuchi unexpectedly indicated with his finger for one of the men to come over. "Give me change," he said, writing out a check.

The man's gave a shout with widened eyes when he saw the amount.

"Another ten million yen?!"

"Hey, is getting more chips even allowed when you're still betting?" asked Higa, annoyed.

Shiroma and Nagata exchanged looks.

"I'll allow it this time," said Shiroma, nodding. Tokuchi looked pleased and threw in five million yen worth of chips.

Sachi hoped sure as hell his hand was worth it.

Amuro had only 3,500,000 but he went all in anyway, and Nagata called the entire amount leaving 3,000,000 on his end. This confused Sachi—they knew which one of them had the winning hand and they split winnings at the end, so why did both of them match Tokuchi's raise?

The final draw was a king of hearts, making the table cards 7 hearts, 7 diamond, 7 club, K diamond, and K heart. It was unbelievably suffocating in the tiny room, and Nagata checked. Everyone wanted to get this one over with.

But Tokuchi raised again, this time 3,500,000.

Nagata was under even greater pressure now. He only had a little less than four million now, so calling meant the possibility of losing almost everything. But if he folded now, he would certainly lose the five million he put in just moments ago. It was just a matter of evaluating his hand and deciding if it was worth it…

And Nagata called.

Amuro burst out of his seat, roaring with delight.

"See that?" he said, flipping over his cards and revealing a 2 and 7 of spades. "Four of a kind—my win!" Nagata rolled his eyes and showed his hand—two Aces, making a full house.

Tokuchi chuckled.

"No, it's mine."

Amuro turned and saw two Kings in Tokuchi's hand.

Two kings.

Also a four of a kind.

_And the higher card value makes the better hand._

"…I don't believe this," said Amuro, slouching back in his seat.

"There's no way!" yelled Higa. "You cheated!"

Tokuchi glared at him, and Higa retreated under his gaze.

"Do you have any proof?"

And for the first time in the night, Higa was silenced.

Tokuchi now had an unbelievable amount of nearly 25 million yen on the table.

He had profited almost 10 million yen with just one hand. _One hand_. Sachi had never seen anything like this before.

Was this the fearsomeness of Tokuchi when the playing field was made even?

It was Amuro's turn to deal next, and Nagata's after. All he had to do was switch in another deck and try to take Tokuchi's money again. But Tokuchi was overwhelmingly in the lead and if he decided to fold for the next few deals, there was nothing anyone could do about it.

But Sachi didn't think Tokuchi was the type to just sit quietly like that.

"You got some really bad advice there, didn't you?" said Tokuchi to Amuro, a taunting expression on his face. "I'll be cleaning out your partner next." He indicated to Higa.

"Just try, you bastard!" Higa barked.

Sachi narrowed her eyes. What did he mean with the part about bad advice?

Of course. Nagata must have influenced Amuro's betting, causing him to lose more money than he would have normally.

But how could Tokuchi have known Nagata was influencing Amuro in the first place?

Apparently Amuro was wondering the same thing because he said nothing and simply glowered at Nagata. "I'm done with this shit!" he said finally, knocking his chair towards Nagata. Higa and Nagata exchanged sour glances, and Sachi questioned if Nagata hadn't sold out his partners to Tokuchi.

Next was Nagata's turn to deal, and Tokuchi won the round by hitting Higa this time. It was then Sachi realized they weren't even sending signals to each other anymore.

Tokuchi had dissolved the fragile trust between them. The table was in complete chaos.

"Don't you have a bar to tend to?" asked Shiroma. His voice cut through Sachi's head, and she realized she had been looking at Tokuchi far too long.

When she turned towards Shiroma, she saw that the cruelty in his eyes had amplified.

"Yes, of course. Would you like anything?"

"Just go."

Sachi bowed and hurried downstairs, checking on the customers. Oh, the air was so different down here—so smoky, carefree, so full of ignorance and seduction.

"Mama-san, are you okay?"

It was one of the girls, a European who had been working here for a while now to make some quick cash.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"It's just, you're shivering. Would you like me to lower the AC?"

"Oh, I am? I'll just adjust, there's no need to make the customers uncomfortable."

But no sooner did the warm air start seeping into her did Tokuchi come downstairs to the bar with a large bag.

Sachi raises her eyebrows. "Would you like another drink or are you done here?"

"There's still one thing left," Tokuchi said, lighting a cigarette. "When does this bar close?"

"At 4am."

"I'll pick you up outside here at 4:30 then," he said and started walking away.

"Wait—Tokuchi-san!" she called out, and he turned around.

"I'm touched at your offer, but I don't need a ride."

It was normally Shiroma who dropped her home at that time, and the last thing she wanted was to risk his anger any more than she had to.

That precise moment, Sachi heard a loud and painful thud and crack to her right. She turned to look—and there was Nagata at the base of the stairs, cowering and bloody, in full view of the bar. The hostesses and their patrons hushed and Sachi rushed over help.

_That was a nasty fall,_ she thought as she tried to help him stand. _How on earth did he manage to trip like that_? She looked up to find her answer sauntering down the stairs, adjusting his tie and looking utterly foul and murderous.

Shiroma had thrown him down.

And suddenly the last thing Sachi actually wanted was to get into a car with him.

She turned and nodded to Tokuchi as imperceptibly as she could, wondering if she hadn't jumped from the fire straight into the deepest circle of hell by doing so.

_Chapter Three End_

_If you liked it, drop a line please! I'm really grateful for the reviews I got last time, they were really meaningful and encouraging to me._  
_Next chapter is a full on convo between Sachi and Tokuchi! We get to find out what Tokuchi has up his sleeves =)_

_Thank you!_


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